Printing machines



Sept. v8, 1959 R. WAGNER PRINTING MACHINES Fiied vMarch 19, 195e 2 sheets-sheet 1 John L Customer 3456 Inl-RIU- cltg G-I69 1 L 4 AM R12 nmozu .1 :Idol zo /nmmnm au;

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PRINTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1956 Invenl'or Robert L. Wagner Bg f/zace ma (rw Patented Sept. 8, 1959 .il ice PRINTING MACHINES Robert L. Wagner, Willoughby, Ohio, assigner to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ghio, a corporation of Delaware Application March 19, 1956, Serial No. 572,371

8 Claims. (Cl. lill-65) This invention relates to printing machines, and in particular to a printing machine adapted to enable customer activity or like records to be recorded or posted in a convenient manner.

There are many kinds of commercial transactions wherein it is desirable that a record be available of the activity or purchasing habits of customers, and this is particularly so in businesses which perform services. Thus, rior example, it is advantageous for a laundry to have available customer activity records which enable the degree off consistency of a particular customer to be determined, so that the laundry can contact or promote those customers who appear not to use the laundry service repeatedly or consistently time after time.

Under the present invention, such customer activity records are prepared efficiently as an incident to preparation of pick-up tickets or slips by the route salesman. The pick-up slips are accurately identified as to customer by being imprinted in a printing machine of a Well known kind using a printing plate embossed at least with the name and address of the customer. Each such printing plate is included as part of a printing device having a frame on which the printing plate is removably mounted, and an identification card is removably mounted on the frame adjacent the printing plate. The index card is imprinted with the name and address and related embossed data provided on the printing plate, and a file of printing devices of this kind represents a complete route list of customers who in the past have utilized the services of the laundry. The route salesman carries the route le with him, and for each call selects the required printing device to be used in printing the pickup slip. A file of this kind can be conveniently kept up to date by changing the printing plate and the index card in the event that a particular customer moves to a new address within the route, and in the event that any particular customer moves out of the route his printing device is removed from the route file.

While the pick-up slip or ticket is being printed with the customer data, an activity mark is at the same time posted on a record portion of the printing device being used for printing the ticket. At regular time intervals, the record portions of the printing devices in a route le can be checked, and absence of activity marks suggests contact with the customer or discussion with the salesman to determine why the customer has not used the service consistently.

An object of the invention is, therefore, to enable a printing device of the foregoing kind to be marked during preparation of the pick-up ticket or slip by the route salesman, and to do this in such a way that the activity of each customer can be conveniently determined by reference to the activity markings thus produced on the printing device as a permanent part of the route file.

Specifically, the object of the present invention is to arrange a pin marker adjustably on the platen of a printing machine of the foregoing kind in position to imprint the index card of a printing device of the foregoing kind at predetermined positions representing predetermined time lapses, so that the printing device will carry a running record of the activity of a customer. A further speciiic object of the present invention is to enable the activity marker to be accurately set for marking olf or posting time lapses on the printing device, and to enable the activity marker to Abe positioned for selective movement along any one of a plurality of parallel paths along which the activity marker is adapted to assume predetermined posting positions correlated to activity posting positions on the index card of the printing device.

While the foregoing sets forth a specilic commercial manifestation of the present invention, it will be recognized that there are numerous other applications involving repetitive printing from printing devices where posting of the transaction related to printing is desirable from the stand-point of product involved, service eX- tended, purchasing habit, and so on, so that when broadly considered, the object of the present invention is to enable accounting data to be conveniently posted or recorded simultaneously with the printing of data from embossures or the like on a printing device.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the ysame or equivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a printing machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of printing devices bearing record data delineated thereon in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail on an enlarged scale of the platen head and recording pin assembly;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the relations involved at time of printing; and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view at one end of the support for the slide for the pin.

The present invention is illustrated as embodied in a hand operated printing machine 10 of a well known kind. A printing machine of this kind is adapted to print from printing devices such as those shown at D in Figs. 2 and 3, and lwhich are more fully described in United States Patent No. 2,036,865. Each such printing device embodies a frame F having a printing plate PP removably mounted in the lower area thereof, and the frame F in the area above the printing plate PP removably carries an index card IC. inasmuch as the present invention in one form will be described from the standpoint of laundry service activity marking as an aspect of accounting, the printing devices herein illustrated are related to this form of record keeping. Thus, the printing devices D under the present circumstance will represent a particular route iile of the customers of the route who have used or relied on the service of the particular laundry concern. These printing devices are used primarily for imprinting the pick-up tickets or slips S, Fig. 5, that are returned to the laundry by the route salesman with the laundry, and for thus imprinting the tickets each printing plate PP is embossed with type characters TC, Fig. 5, delineating the name and address 20 of the customer, Figs. 2 and 3, information 21 to indicate the type of service utilized such as dry cleaning, the laundry mark 22 for the customer, the pick-up and delivery day 23 pre- 3p ferred by the customer, the time (am. or p m.) 24 for pick-up or delivery, and the route number 25. These data are in the form of reverse embossed type characters for reasons that will be pointed outherein below, and of` course are merely illustrative of thervarious kinds of data that may be advantageously printed. Y

The index card IC is itself imprinted from the related printing plate, and this enables each printing device D to be easily uidentified and verified. A

In using printing devices of this kind in the printing machine 10, the bed of the machine is provided with spaced apart guide grooves 30 and 31 adapted toreceive related guide anges (not shown) that are formed on the back of the frame F of each printing device parallel to and inwardly of the side edges thereof. The printing device for insertion into the machine is arranged so that the aforesaid guide flanges are in alignment with the grooves 3() and 31, and the printing device is inserted with the printing plate in a leading position and the embossed type characters facing upwardly.

The machine includes an inked ribbon 35 which is disposed at right angles to the guide slots 3d and 31, and when properly positioned the printing plate of the printing device is disposed at printing position in the machine beneath the inked ribbon 35 and reposes on an anvil 36 with the embossed data an the printing plate facing upwardly as shown in Fig. 5. The portion of the printing device which carries the index card IC is supported at this time in part by shoulders 37 and 38 that extend inwardly from the guide slots 3i) and 31. The slip or ticket S to be printed from the printing plate of the printing device is next positioned .over the ribbon 35, and to properly align the sheet S to be printed with the embossed Vdata on the printing plate an adjustable sheet stop blade 39 is aiforded on the bed of the machine rearwardly of the ribbon 35. It will be appreciated that the sheet thus to be printed will be printed on the lower face, and it is for this reason that the embossed data on the printing plate are of reverse character.

After the printing device and the sheet to he printed are thus oriented, the handle H of the platen arm 4t? of the machine is grasped and the platen arm lowered from retracted position to cause the lower or pressure-applying face of the platen 41 of the machine to bear forcefully on the upper face of the sheet or ticket S to be printed as shown in Fig. 5, and in this way. the work to be printed, the inked ribbon, and the printing plate of the printing device are brought into printing engagement. The platen arm 45 is normally held in a retracted or upper position by a spring (not shown), and after return of the arm 40 from printing to normal position following the formation of a print, means (not shown) are eifective as an incident to such return of the platen arm to index a ribbon feed mechanism of a kind well known in the art aifordedin the machine beneath the bed thereof.

It will be noted that the index card on a printing device as D is provided with a recording or posting grid 42, Figs. 2 and 3, for activity marking, this grid in one form having fifty-two positions representative of the fifty-two weeks of a year. Thus, the activity posting area is `divided into two horizontal rows each having twenty-six positions, and in accordance with the present invention a data mark DM is made on the activity posting grid for the current week in each instance where a laundry pickup has been made as an incident to the printing of the related pick-up ticket. Comparing activity postings DM of the device in Fig. 2 to those of Fig. 3, it will be observed in the latter instance that customer activity was consistent each week of the year, while in the rst instance the customer had but fewscattered orders.

The platen head 45 which carries the platen 41 is provided with a pair of forwardly extending bracket arms 46 and 47 which are each secured adjustably to opposite sides able the arms 46 and 47 to be adjustably related transversely to the platen head 45 either in a forward or rearward position. In the present instance, the arms 46 and 47 are in a rearward position at ends of the slots 53 and 54 and the purpose of adjustment of the arms 46 and 47 to a second or forward position at the other ends of the slots 53 and 54 will be mentioned herein below.

The arms 46 and 47 constitute a shiftable support or carriage for guide pins 55, 56 and 57 on which a slide 58 is arranged to be moved to selected longitudinal positions, and theslide 58 carries a spring mounted marking pin 59. Thus, the guide pins 55, 56 and 57 have opposed ends thereof disposed in correspondingly spaced mounting openings at the forward inside faces of the arms 4-6 and 47 as shown in Fig. 6. The side 58 includes a head 6i), and a separable bottom or clamp plate 61 that is screws 51 and 52 are mounted are of such size as to enassociated therewith, the arrangement being such that the bottom plateV 61 has a shoulder or lip` `62 forwardly of the front face 63 of the head 60. The head 60 includes a shoulder 64 projecting forwardly of its front face 63, and the shoulders 62 and 64 are so related as to define a recess at the front of the slide 58.

The head 60 of the slide includes rear extension 66, and the bottom or clamp plate 61 likewise includes a rear extension 67. Formed in the rear extension 66 are a pair of spaced apart, aligned openings 68 and 69 dening alternate transverse positions for the pin 59, and there are a pair of like openings formed in the extension 67 of the slide clamp plate 61 in alignment with they openings 68 and 69 as will be observed in Fig. 5. The marker pin 59 is in the form of a plunger having a lower shank portion 70 the end 70E of which provides the activity mark or other record mark in a manner to be described. A `collar 71 is formed on the pin 59, and the arrangement is such that this collar normally reposes on the upper face of the bottom plate 61 with the upper end 72 of the pin 59 disposed in either the opening 68 or the opening 69 depending upon which of the alternative transverse positions the pin 59 is in with respect to the slide 58. A coil spring 75 is arranged on the portion of the pin 59 that is between the upper face of the shoulder 71 and the lower face of the rear extension 66 of the slide head 60, so that the spring 75 is effective normally to forcefully urge the collar 71 of the pin 59 against the upper face of the rear extension 67 of the bottom plate 61. It may here be pointed out that when the platen is lowered to printing position and the pin 59 is in its forward position shown, that is, disposed in the opening 68 and the opening in the plate 61 which is registered with the opening 68, the marking end 70E of the pin 59 is aligned with the row of posting positions one to twenty-six of the record grid 42 of the printing device at printing position as shown in Fig. `5. On the other hand,.when the pin 59 is disposed in the alternate rear opening 69 of the slide 58 and the opening in the plate 61 that is aligned with the opening 69, the marking end of the recording pin 59 is adapted to be aligned with the row of posting positions twenty-seven to iifty-two of the printing device at printing position.

1t may also be here pointed out that by sliding forward the bracket arms v46 and 47 which carry the guide pins for the slide 58 as enabled by the elongated slots 53 and 54 in which the mounting screws 51 and 52 for the arms 46 and 47 are arranged, the possible recording positions for the pin 59 are `further increased to one hundred and our.

Fastened as -by screws and 81 to the front ends of the arms 46 and 47 is an indicator or index plate 82,. The arrangement is such that the indicator 82 is disposed in therecess of the slide 58 which is defined by the opposed shoulders 62 and 64. The bottom plate 61 of the slide 58 is in effect a. clamp serving to hold the slide58 to the indicator plate 82 in a selective position. Thus, thev head of a thumb screw 83 is exposed at the bottom of the clamp 61 and extends through the clamp of the slide 58. When the thumb screw 83 is tightened,

`the shoulders of 62 and 64 ofthe slide 58 grip tightly vthe upper of lower edges of the index means 82 to hold Vthe slide 58 in a set position. The bottom plate 61 is kheld properly aligned and disposed at the bottom face of the head 60 by a centering pin 84, Fig. 5, having a press iit in the head 60. When the thumb screw 83 is removed, the bottom plate 61 can be disassociated from vthe'head 60 to enable the pin 59 to be relocated in respect of its alternate mounting positions in the slide 58.

The yindicator plate 82 is provided with two rows of indicia delineating positions l to 26 in an upper row, and positions 27 to 52 in a lower row. These positions marked on the indicator plate 82 correspond to -the `posting positions on the printing device as D, which yis to say that the spacing between the indicated positions on the plate 82 is the same as the spacing between the postingpositions on the index card of the printing device. On the center line of the openings 68 and 68 is an index marking IM' stamped on the front face of the head of the slide just over the upper edge of the indicator plate 82, and when. the slide 58 has been shifted longitudinally on its guides so that the index IM is opposite an indicated position on the indicator plate 82, the recording pin 59 has been set in position to post the grid 42 of the printing'device at Va likeposition. Thus, at the commencement of each current week, the user of the machine releases the thumb screw 82 and shifts the slide 58 forwardly :one step to set the pin 70 for entering a current posting on a printing device D for each customer of ythe-laundry who is active in that week.

It was mentioned above that a printing device D in printing position in the machine 10 is under the inked ribbon 35. The inked ribbon 35 is of such width as to span vall of the embossed data on the printing plate as welll as the area of the index card on which the posting or data receiving grid is printed as shown in Fig. 5. The marking end 70E of the pin 59, Fig. 5, is located to at least lie in the plane of the lower or pressure-applying face ofthe platen 4, and is preferably located somewhat beyondthat plane. Accordingly, when the platen arm 40 is lowered Vfrom an upper retracted position to dispose the-platen 41 in printing position to press the sheet S andthe ribbon 35 against the type characters TC on the plate P?, the marking end 70E of the pin 59 causes impingement of the ribbon 35 to accordingly cause the ribbon 35 to mark the index card IC with data DM at the current activity posting position, depending of course on the setting of the slide 58. It will be appreciated that impingement of the ribbon is a yielding action and relatively light in nature, inasmuch as the spring 75 will enable the pin 59 to yield thereby preventing excessive pressure of the pin 59 on the ribbon and printing device. It may also be pointed out that the marking action of the pin 59 is sufficiently effective as to cause marking through the thickness of a sheet S that may extend over the portion of the printing device bearing the index card, so that impingement of the ribbon 35 may either be direct by the pin 59 or occur indirectly through a sheet S being printed on its lower face.

While the invention has been described from the standpoint of customer activity, it will be appreciated that other accounting or record keeping relations may lbe advantageously carried tout as well. The record posting pin has multiple longitudinal positions and multiple transverse settings to enlarge its recording capacity, and the pin is yeldably mounted so as to enable unsevere marking to occur.

Hence, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes 6 and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims. I claim:

l. A printing machine of the kind described including means affording a platen having a pressure applying face adapted to be operated between retracted and printing positions to effect a print on a sheet or the like located at a printing station in the machine upon forcefully engaging said face with said sheet, guide means mounted on and movable With said platen, retaining means slidably mounted on said guide means for movement to a selected position on said guide means, and a plunger pin yieldably mounted on said retaining means and which is disposed in a recording position upon disposition of said retaining means in a selected position, said pin having a marking end disposed at least in the plane of said face of said platen, and said pin being movable with the platen between retracted and printing positions and being effective to mark a record sheet or the like with record data vat the time the platen is effective to cause a print to be made as aforesaid.

2. In a printing machine of the kind described, means affording a ribbon feed, a platen head having a platen adapted to be operated between retracted and printing position to cause the ribbon to print a sheet or the like from the printing plate of a printing device in the machine, said platen head affording guide means, a slide mounted slidably on said guide means, a plunger pin carried by said slide and adapted to cooperate With the ribbon to make a record mark on a portion of the printing device when the platen is in printing position, means to hold the slide in a selected longitudinal position on the guide means, an indicator associated with said slide and pin and with respect to Which the slide is movable to locate the pin at a selected position, indicia on said indicator identifying such selected positions for the pin and which correspond to posting positions on said portion of the printing device so that when the platen is in printing position the pin marks the printing device at the position corresponding to the setting of the slide, means aifording a plurality of transverse mounting positions for the pin on said slide to accordingly increase the number of possible longitudinal settings along different paths for the pin, and means aifording a plurality of transverse positions for said guide means relative to said platen head to Vfurther and accordingly increase the number of pos. sible longitudinal settings for the pin along still different paths.

3. In a printing machine of the kind described, means aifording a platen head having a platen adapted to be operated between retracted and printing position to print a sheet or the like from the printing plate of a printing device in the machine, guide means on said platen head, a slide mounted slidably on said guide means, a plunger pin carried yeldably by said slide and adapted to mark the printing device when the platen is in printing position, means to hold the slide in a selected longitudinal position on the guide means, an indicator associated with said slide and pin and with respect to which the slide is movable to locate the pin at a selected longitudinal position, said indicator identifying selected positions for the pin which correspond to posting positions on the printing device so that when the platen is in printing position the pin marks the printing device at the position corresponding to the setting of the slide, means affording alternate front and rear mounting positions for the pin on said slide to accordingly increase the number of possible longitudinal settings for the pin, and means affording alternate front and rear positions for said guide means on the platen head to further and accordingly increase the number of possible longitudinal settings for the pin.

4. In a printing machine of the kind described, a platen head mounting a platen which is adapted to` be operated between retracted and printing position to print a sheet or the like from a printing device in the machine, guide means, mounted on the platen head, a slide meunted on the guide means, a pin associated with theA Slide, an@ adapted to mark a record sheet or the like when the platen is. in Printing position, means ty locate and held the slide in a selected longitudinal position on the guide means,r an indicator associated with said slide and with respect to which the slide is movable te, locate the nin at a selected position corresponding to a predetermined re,- cording position on the record sheet so that when the platen is in printing position the pin marks the record sheet at the recording position corresponding to the longitudinal setting of the pin, and means atfording a p1u rality of transverse mounting positions for the pin tol accoredingly increase the number of possible longitudinal ,settings for the pin.

In adata recording machine of the kind described, means aording a support for a yieldable data recording pin, means at a printing station in the machine affording ay support for a record sheet or the like having a plurality of posting positions adapted to be selectively imprinted by the pin, inking means for the record, Sheet, means to bring about pressure engagement between the pin, the record sheet and the inking means, said support for the recording pin including guide means on which the re. coi-ding pin is slidably mounted for movement in one direction to selected set positions corresponding to the posting positions on the record sheet, and means enabling the pin and the guide means, respectively, to be selectively adjusted in a direction normal to the rst-named direc? tion t0 increase the passible settings of the pin along different parallel paths,

`6. In a printing machine of the kind described wherein impressions are to be made on a sheet from a print def vice carrying type characters at one location on the dev vice and carrying a record member at another location on the device: means at a printing station in the maf chine affording a printing anvil on which the printing, device is to be located preliminary to taking an impression therefrom, ribbon inkel' means at the printing station for a ribbon having an area sufficient to span both the type characters and the record member of a printing device located on the anvil, a platen head supported in the machine for movement between a retracted position spaced from the printing station and an impression producing position effective to cause a platen to press together the sheet to be printed and the ribbon and the type charac- 8 ters, said platen head carrying aplaten having @alava corresponding to thearea .of the .ribbon lloid 'QQ the type characters so as to produce impressionson a sheet as aforesaid whenthe platen head is advanced, te4 its impression producing positionsaid platen head carrying a support supporting a yieldabl-y monnted marker pin spaced from said platen and. in position to be aligned with the area of the ribbon allocated to said record inember and being of a length to produce a markon the, record member through the medium of said'rijbbon simultaneously with the production of; said impressions when Vthe platen head hasY been advanced to' its impression producing position, and elongated guide means 2%1`1-i*,(1v by said platen head and mounting the support for Said Pin for ino-vement to selected positions along `the'length o f the guide means to locate the marker pin a selected position for marking the record member at a selected position. 7. A machine according to claim 6. wherein means. are provided to enable the marker Pin 'tohaveI `a plurality of selective transverse mounting positions in relation of the lguide means. Y

8. A machine according t0. claim 7v wherein means are provided to enable the guide means to. have a plurality of selective transverse setting positions.

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